Portable baths



C. S. PHILLIPS PORTABLE BATHS Oct. 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1956 our; m Sf) P/A/AZ/PS INVENTOR.

by Dun-4 MM ATTORNEYS.

C. S. PHILLIPS PORTABLE BATHS 2 Sh ets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28, 1956 r? m /m. Zm M M fi m Mm X S I a 5 b, M M u This invention concerns improvements in portable baths such as are primarily used for bathing infants. Portable baths as commonly used are intended to be supported by a trestle, table or chair and in some instances it has been proposed to make them of a flexible plastic or other waterproof fabric in order that they may be collapsed when not in use. However, it is not easy to fill or empty a bath when it is supported in this mariner if use is to be made of the usual domestic supply taps and, moreover, if the infant splashes the water whilst being bathed it causes a troublesome mess. 1 I

In an endeavour to rectify these deficiencies, I'have previously proposed a form of collapsible bath which is :intended to be supported by an ordinary domestic bath and such proposals form the basis of my patent application No. 506,628; now US. Patent No.-.2,78l,522. However, in some circumstances it has been found to be convenient to make use of a rigid non-collapsible frame and one which if need be can be supported byfmeans other than the domestic 'bath., It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved portable According to this invention there is provided a portable bath primarily for bathing infants comprising a substantially rectangular frame adapted to support a container for the water, at least four supporting elements arranged two on each longitudinal side of such frame and each such supporting element comprising a pair of arms extending outwardly of the frame and diverging respectively upwardly and downwardly, the outer end of at least one arm of each such element being positioned to engage the tapering longitudinal sides of a normal domestic bath to support the frame within the bath.

Very desirably the ends of the arms of the supporting elements will be sheathed in rubber or like resilient tips which will serve the dual functions of protecting the material of the domestic bath from scratches and will also increase the friction between these tips and the sides of the domestic bath.

It is convenient that the upwardly diverging arm of each pair forming a supporting element should extend slightly further outwardly of the frame than the other arm for reasons which will become apparent hereinafter. The primary function of the supporting elements is to engage, by friction, with the sides of the domestic bath and since these sides slope inwardly to quite an appreciable degree it will be found in practice that the portable bath is supported by engagement of the tips of the lower arms. Should there be some reason why the portable bath is rendered momentarily unstable, for example the two arms engaging one side of the domestic bath slip downwardly, after a very short distance of travel the upper arms will come into contact with the sides of the domestic bath thereby in the first place doubling the amount of friction between the portable bath and the domestic bath and in the second place providing for a point of engagement still further above the centre of gravity of the portable bath, and thus the portable bath 2,907,051 Patented Och 6,

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'is immediately'stabilised and the danger of further slipping is substantially eliminated. However, this positioning of the arms of the supporting elements may also be put to good advantage, when it is desired to empty the bath, for by raising one end'it can be caused to pivot successively about the lower arms of the other end and then about the upper arms until the portable bath is turned over and the water flows freely therefrom.

Under normal circumstances the planeofthe supporting frame of the portable bath is disposed'below the upper surface of the domestic bath and the portable'bath may readily be filled directly from the taps of the domestic supply, but in order to affordfor some measure of'control over the exact position that the portable bath will take up in the domestic bath, the transverse'sides of the frame may desirably be adjustable in length.

In order that the portable bath may, if desired,--be used away from the-domestic bath, sockets may conveniently-be-provided on the under side of the'framfe, conveniently one adjacent to each supporting element, for the reception of supportinglegs. Very desirably such sockets may be screw-threaded and inclined at such an angle that the supportinglegs will be splayed to provide increased stability.

Although the water container will most desirably be made of a flexible plastic or other waterproof cloth, such container may, of course, be made of a 'rigid material.

'When the bath of the present inventionis supported upon the said supporting-legs away from the domestic bath, it will of course be appreciated that it may very conveniently be used as a cot and'will be provided-with the customary mattress under such circumstances/ In order that this invention may more'readily'beunderstood, one embodiment of the same will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in-which:

Figure 1.is a perspective view' of-aport'abl'e bat-h according to this invention located within a domestic bath;

Figure 2 is an end view of the portable bath showing the domestic bath in section; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the portable bath supported away from the domestic bath.

Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the portable bath comprises a generally rectangular frame 1 having two longitudinal sides 2 and two transverse sides 3, the frame 1 being adapted to support a container 4 which in the embodiment illustrated is made of a flexible waterproof material, desirably a plastic material. Any suitable means may be provided for engaging the container 4 with the frame 1 and these means are not illustrated in the drawings. For example, the container may be secured upon the frame before the latter is assembled or alternatively may be secured by threading through loops on the container or by press-studs or the like.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings it will be observed that the frame 1 is made of tubular metal and in two parts each of substantially U-configuration but one part having longer sides than the other. The ends of the shorter sides are screw-threaded as at 5 and the ends of the longer sides are provided with a retaining member 6 housing a captive nut 7 engaging with the v screw-threaded part 5. By these means the effective transverse width of the frame 1 can be adjusted within limits.

Adjacent to each end of the longitudinal sides 2 of the frame 1 there are located four supporting elements generally indicated 8. These supporting elements 8 each comprise a length of bowed tube material or the like secured as by welding to the outer side of the frame members 2 so as to provide a pair of arms 9 and 10 extending outwardly of the frame and divergingrespectively upwardly and downwardly. The outer ends of 3 these arms 9 and 10 are protected by rubber or like tips 11.

As can be clearly seen from Figure 2, the upper arms 9arerslightly .longerthan the lower armslflandso-extend slightly further awayflfrom the .;centre line of the pot-table bath. However, the longitudinal'sides 12 6f ..the domestic .bath"13 slope .at atgreater anglean d so, under normal circumstances, the sides of .the domestic bath arecngaged by the lower arms vand the frameis retained in .position by this engagement. However, as has been previouslypointed out and as will be clearfrom vFigure 2 should the frictional engagement of the'tips on one .pair of lower arms 10 (saythe left-hand'one) fail,

:thenl'almost immediately the upper arms 9 on that side will come into engagement with the sides12- of the domestic bathf13 toprOVide-for the aforesaid stability.

The adjustment provided by the .captive nut '7 and screw-thread will enable the .frame 1 to be disposed below the taps 14 of theldomestic bath 13 in order that .theportable bathvmay be filled directly from such taps .and afteruse the portable bath may beemptied by the ,simplerprocess-of causing it to pivot at theglower arms -and then at the upper arms-9 atone end of the vportable bath.

As can be seen from Figure 3, a socket I5 is provided adjacent to eachsupporting element 8 and may very conveniently'be in the form of a short length of tube also weldedto-the frame -1. These sockets are in the present supported in the manner illustrated in Figure 3 it -will=be appreciated that it can, if desired be used-for acot.

lclaim: .1. Agportable bat-lrprimarily forbathing-infants com- ,prising a rectangular frame having longitudinal and transverse sides; a container for water depending from such frame; four supporting elements rigidly secured to the longitudinal sides of said frame one adjacent to each of the ends thereof; a lower arm forming part of each such supporting element, each such lower arm extending outwardly of the frame and downwardly; an upper arm also forming part of each such supporting element, each such upper arm extending upwardly and further outwardly of the frame thantheassociatedlower arm; and resilient tips on the ends of all such arms positioned to engage internally at spaced locations the longitudinal sides of a domestic .bath to support .the frame therein.

'2. The portable 'bath of claim 1, including screwthreaded sockets locatedzon saidiframe one adjacent to each said supporting element, and a supporting leg screwthreadedly engaged in each said socket, whereby said portable bath is free-standing.

3. A portable bath primarily for bathing infants comprising a rigid rectangular metallic 'frame'having longitudinal and'transverse sides; a container for'water dependingfrom suchframe; four lower arms extending outwardlyof the frarneian'd downwardly and seoured'tothe longitudinal sides of said frame lone adjacent to each of the ends thereof; 'fourupperarms extending upwardly and downwardly of the frame and securedto'the longitudinal sides thereof adjacent to .said lower arms, the

therein.

References-Cited in thetfile of this patent UNITED "STATES PATENTS 1,390,444 Iefls Sept. 13, 1921 2,113,189 Bentz Apr. 5, 1938 2,487,228 vFeiehtmeir Nov. 8, 1949 2,547,564 Burke Apr. 3, 1951 

